Naples Man Cleared of Child Abuse for Spanking Teen Daughter
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) - A 43-year-old man has been acquitted of child abuse for spanking his teenage daughter with a belt.
A jury took less than an hour Wednesday to find William O'Brien, of Naples, innocent of felony child abuse.
"I'm happy with the outcome," O'Brien said after hugging his wife and 14-year-old daughter.
O'Brien said he swatted his daughter, who was 13 at the time, once with a belt in May 2002 after she cursed at her mother.
O'Brien said he ordered his daughter to her room and warned her not to come out or he would spank her. After she stormed out of her room and slammed the door, he said he hit her once with a belt.
School friends talked the teen into reporting what happened the next day. She told a school nurse, who reported the incident to case workers with the state Department of Children & Families, O'Brien said.
O'Brien, a financial consultant, was arrested six months later.
Although prosecutors offered to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor, O'Brien said he felt compelled to fight the felony charge that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $5,000 fine.
"I certainly think to not fight this would have set a bad precedent for parents trying to raise children in today's times," he said.
Defense attorney Donald Day said "the state did more harm to this child than the spanking ever did" by charging O'Brien and insisting on a jury trial.
Assistant State Attorney Steve Maresca said the state didn't think it could get a conviction without a jury trial. He also stood by the charge.
"Should you be able to leave a mark on a child that lasts a week?" he asked.
:moon:
p.s. I don't know about you folks, but my father used to beat the living chit outta me...and looking back on it, I'm glad he did...and I'm looking forward to beating the crap outta my kids, aren't you? :shrug:
I'm tired of all of this whining.... "My life didn't turn out the way I want...." Join the fawking club!!! I thought I was going to be the starting center fielder for the Boston Redsox.... Life sucks, get a fawking helmet.
Happiness comes in small doses folks.... It's a chocolate chip cookie, or a cigarette or a five second orgasm.... That's it!!! You cum, you eat the cookie, you smoke the cigarette...you go to sleep and you get up in the fawking morning and go to fawking work!!!
(compliments of Denis Leary)
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) - A 43-year-old man has been acquitted of child abuse for spanking his teenage daughter with a belt.
A jury took less than an hour Wednesday to find William O'Brien, of Naples, innocent of felony child abuse.
"I'm happy with the outcome," O'Brien said after hugging his wife and 14-year-old daughter.
O'Brien said he swatted his daughter, who was 13 at the time, once with a belt in May 2002 after she cursed at her mother.
O'Brien said he ordered his daughter to her room and warned her not to come out or he would spank her. After she stormed out of her room and slammed the door, he said he hit her once with a belt.
School friends talked the teen into reporting what happened the next day. She told a school nurse, who reported the incident to case workers with the state Department of Children & Families, O'Brien said.
O'Brien, a financial consultant, was arrested six months later.
Although prosecutors offered to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor, O'Brien said he felt compelled to fight the felony charge that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $5,000 fine.
"I certainly think to not fight this would have set a bad precedent for parents trying to raise children in today's times," he said.
Defense attorney Donald Day said "the state did more harm to this child than the spanking ever did" by charging O'Brien and insisting on a jury trial.
Assistant State Attorney Steve Maresca said the state didn't think it could get a conviction without a jury trial. He also stood by the charge.
"Should you be able to leave a mark on a child that lasts a week?" he asked.
:moon:
p.s. I don't know about you folks, but my father used to beat the living chit outta me...and looking back on it, I'm glad he did...and I'm looking forward to beating the crap outta my kids, aren't you? :shrug:
I'm tired of all of this whining.... "My life didn't turn out the way I want...." Join the fawking club!!! I thought I was going to be the starting center fielder for the Boston Redsox.... Life sucks, get a fawking helmet.
Happiness comes in small doses folks.... It's a chocolate chip cookie, or a cigarette or a five second orgasm.... That's it!!! You cum, you eat the cookie, you smoke the cigarette...you go to sleep and you get up in the fawking morning and go to fawking work!!!
(compliments of Denis Leary)
